Some Prefer Needles
by queien
Summary: Tsuzuki hardly noticed when the tattoo parlor opened right next to the flower shop he worked at. However, someone at the tattoo parlor has noticed him...
1. Chapter 1

[[So, this story is based loosely off a post I saw on tumblr about a flower shop and a tattoo parlor being right next door to each other. The title is a play on Junichiro Tanazaki's Some Prefer Nettles. There'll be nine chapters total, and they're all predrafted so you don't have to worry about me losing interest in the story and it going onto hiatus or something. I'm way too tired to be writing an intro blub right now... x.x]]

* * *

Tsuzuki cursed himself as he scrambled for the keys in his pocket. Once again, he had overslept and was late to work. It didn't help that he was the one who was scheduled to open that day, which was the hardest shift for him to get to in time because of his passionate love affair with his bed. He approached the door to the shop and started going through the keys for the one that went to the shop door.

He was so distracted by this task and his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the silver-haired man leaning his back against the wall by the door until he spoke. "It's about time you showed up. I was worried that I would have to go to a different shop."

Tsuzuki jumped, nearly dropping the keys. As Tsuzuki floundered to catch the keys, the man chuckled in amusement. Tsuzuki caught the keys in one hand, attempted to straighten his hopelessly rumpled white button-down shirt, and turned to face the stranger. "Can I help you?" he asked, trying to keep his tone pleasant as he was laughed at.

"Yes," the man said, pushing off the wall and turning to face Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki gasped and his eyes widened as he spotted an intricate tattoo winding down the lower right arm left exposed by the man's white t-shirt. Only having registered that the image contained flowers of some kind, he quickly returned his gaze to the man's face. A smug smirk pulled at the corners of the man's mouth. "You like it?" he asked, pulling his shirt sleeve up and then holding out his arm and turning it so that Tsuzuki could see the image from every angle.

Tsuzuki hesitantly glanced back down at it.

The tattoo was larger that Tsuzuki first thought, spreading over every inch of skin between the man's wrist all the way up his arm to his shoulder. He had been right about the flowers, though. Huge, dewy, red-and-pink roses blossomed thickly at the top and bottom of the design with more scattered through the middle. However, the middle of the tattoo had something Tsuzuki had missed: two rabbits - the lower one cream white and the upper one reddish brown - sat partially hidden among the flowers.

"That's, um," Tsuzuki tried to come up with a positive word that seemed suitable. "It's, er, nice? I mean, it's beautiful." He tried not to stutter too much as he tried not to think too much about how likely this stranger was yakuza.

"Thanks. So, you going to open the door or what?"

"Ah, right," Tsuzuki said, fiddling with his keys again to try to find the one to the store. "So, uh, what exactly drew you to our place?" he asked as he found the one he was looking for and started to unlock the door.

"Oh, nothing in particular," came the reply. "I just work nearby."

Tsuzuki turned the key and then looked up. "Work?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I work at the tattoo shop that's right next door," the stranger replied, jerking his thumb in the direction of the neighboring building. "It opened just this week. One of my friends runs it."

Keeping his grip on the key that was still in the lock, Tsuzuki leaned back so he could to see around the man in order to see where he was pointing. Indeed, one of the shops nearby that had once been empty now had lights on inside and had a new sign advertising itself as a tattoo parlor.

"Yellow Crane Tattoo Parlor," Tsuzuki read slowly.

"Yeah," the man said. "You can come by whenever you want. I'll give you a discount. No, I'll do it for free. Anything you want. You have such lovely skin. I'm sure your body would be the perfect canvas."

Tsuzuki shivered. "No thanks," he said, removing the key from the lock and opening the door wide. "I'm fine."

The man chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you'll change your mind eventually," he said. "And when you do, ask for me. My name is Muraki Kazutaka."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tsuzuki said dryly. Muraki smirked as he walked past Tsuzuki and into the shop. Tsuzuki sighed and then followed him. "So what exactly are you looking for?" he asked.

"Something that asks for forgiveness," Muraki replied as he slowly walked among the flowers.

"Ah, in that case, how about hyacinth?" Tsuzuki suggested, gesturing to a bouquet of the bell-shaped flowers. "They're very lovely and have a pleasant aroma. They also mean 'I'm sorry; please forgive me.'"

Muraki glanced up and then returned his attention to the flowers he was perusing, brushing one with his finger softly. "No, those don't seem right," he said.

"What doesn't?" Tsuzuki asked.

"The meaning," Muraki replied. "Also, their appearance doesn't seem very me."

"I see," Tsuzuki said, confused. Muraki had asked for a flower meaning forgiveness and that was exactly what he had offered. He wasn't sure how the meaning was off from what Muraki wanted. "Well then, can you tell me more about the situation so that I can offer something more appropriate?"

"My lover is upset with me," Muraki answered. "I was angry with him last night, and he hasn't spoken to me since, not making a single sound no matter what I do." Muraki looked up and stared right into Tsuzuki's eyes. "I want something that will make him forgive me."

Tsuzuki gulped, not quite comfortable with how that was phrased. He started to suggest a flower but then stopped. "Wait, 'he'?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Muraki asked, glancing up with a smile on his lips and a challenge in his eye.

"No, um, I was just surprised is all, uh..." Tsuzuki tried to recover as quickly as he could so he could turn the conversation toward flowers. "Er, anyway, there's tulips," he stuttered, pulling his eyes away from Muraki's intense gaze in order to look around for the specific flowers he was looking for. "A white tulip sincerely asks a loved one for forgiveness," he suggested, pointing out a few appropriate bouquets around the shop.

"That still doesn't seem quite right," Muraki said as he continued to look around the shop. He then stopped, gently cupped one hand under the silky blossoms of a gorgeous red camellia, and lowered his head to it to smell it. "These seem more like something he'd like," he murmured.

"Er, those are camellias," Tsuzuki said. "They, er, they usually are tied to death. People send them to funerals..."

"I know," Muraki said with a smile as he straightened. "It's because the head of the flower drops all at once when it dies, so it resembles a person being beheaded. It's not the sort of thing most people wish on others, is it?" He chuckled and went back to wandering among the flowers. "I was just saying that the color and shape were more what he would like. They also seem more like something I would give."

Tsuzuki shifted uncomfortably. "How about carnations, then?" He suggested.

"These also look lovely," Muraki purred, seeming to have ignored Tsuzuki's suggestion. Tsuzuki saw that Muraki had now stopped in front of a bouquet of spider lilies.

"Sir, those are also for the dead," Tsuzuki said, his mouth growing dry with panic. He couldn't help but wonder if this man had murdered his lover or was planning to kill him.

"They're for guiding the dead so that they can be reincarnated," Muraki said. "Very poetic, but I doubt I'd ever give anyone something like this." He stepped away from the lilies, but Tsuzuki still felt tense. "What about roses?"

"Huh?" Tsuzuki said, surprised.

"What roses mean forgiveness?" Muraki repeated.

"Um, well, I don't think there are any that mean forgiveness," Tsuzuki said quickly. "I think you might be able to get a close meaning if you mixed red and white roses together, though."

"What do they mean by themselves?" Muraki asked.

"Red means passion and love, and white means truth, purity, and silence. With a little imagination, I suppose you could get something similar to forgiveness from that."

"Then I'd like six white roses and five red," Muraki replied. Tsuzuki nodded and went to fetch them, glad that he had finally gotten this man what he wanted, when Muraki spoke once more. "Make sure they have thorns." He added.

Tsuzuki gulped and hoped he'd never have to deal with this man ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

[[Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! :D I hope this story lives up to your expectations!]]

During the slow hours the next day, Tsuzuki was snapped from his bored daydreaming by the door to the shop slamming open and then shut again. Before he could become fully alert from his daydreams and greet his customer, a huge bouquet of fragrant red roses was thrust toward him. Tsuzuki flinched backward and then blinked rapidly as he stared at the flowers in confusion and then looked up to see Muraki's smugly grinning face.

"I-I'm sorry, but we don't do returns," Tsuzuki stuttered.

"I'm not returning them," Muraki said. "These are completely different flowers that the ones you sold me, after all."

Tsuzuki glanced down and noticed that this was indeed true. There were many more flowers here than the five he had sold Muraki the day before, and the roses were a different type - red queens. "We can't buy flowers from just anyone," Tsuzuki said.

"I'm not selling them; I'm giving them to you," Muraki said, offering them again.

Tsuzuki put his hands up to push the flowers away from him. "Why?" He asked.

"Because I'm in love with you."

Tsuzuki had been both expecting that reply and totally unprepared for it. He felt anger and embarrassment rise to his face. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in men," he snapped. "Anyway, don't you already have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, but it's an open relationship. I also have a girlfriend," Muraki replied. "And I'm fine with you thinking that you're not interested in me. However, that doesn't mean you can't take the flowers, though." That look of challenge was back, glimmering in Muraki's one visible, icy eye, daring Tsuzuki not to take them and see what happened.

"Er, I'm okay. I'm surrounded by flowers at work all day. I don't need these," Tsuzuki insisted, although he had to admit that he was intimidated.

"Yes, but these flowers that surround you are all so impersonal," Muraki said. "These roses I've brought you are a gift that I chose specifically for you. They have so much more life than the flowers you work with because these are filled with my love for you."

Tsuzuki glanced from Muraki to the flowers, desperately trying to come up with something to say in reply. He then noticed the time on the clock on the wall behind Muraki and realized that his coworker was due to come into the shop at any second. "If I take these flowers, will you go away?" Tsuzuki asked, eyes glued on the window in the door, looking for any shadows that looked like his coworker approaching. He didn't want to be seen being wooed by this tattooed creep who could have been yakuza, a potential murderer, or both.

Muraki smiled. "If that's what you desire, then yes, I'll leave the moment you take them," he said.

"Then I'll accept them," Tsuzuki said, holding out his arms to take the bouquet.

Grinning ear to ear, Muraki placed the flowers in Tsuzuki's outstretched arms. "I love you," he said.

"I doubt that. You don't even know my name," Tsuzuki muttered.

"Then why don't you tell me it, then?" Muraki asked.

"No thanks," Tsuzuki replied.

"Alright. That's fine. It doesn't matter either way," Muraki said. "Knowing your name, not knowing your name, it won't change my feelings for you."

"Weren't you leaving?" Tsuzuki asked, glancing worriedly back at the clock and then to the door.

"Of course, my love," Muraki replied. "But I'll be back to visit you again, don't you worry."

Those words definitely had Tsuzuki worried.

Still, as Muraki promised, he headed to the door and then left. Tsuzuki sighed and looked down at the flowers in his arms. "What do I even do with these?" he wondered to himself. He didn't dare try to resell them in case Muraki somehow recognized the bouquet. That left him with the options of taking the flowers home, ditching them in the trash somewhere, or regifting them. The problem with throwing them away was similar to the issues involved with selling them, so that choice was out. He also didn't know who he could give them to without the other person getting the wrong idea, so that didn't seem like a good idea either. It seemed that the only choice Tsuzuki had was to take them home.

The door opened again, startling Tsuzuki so much that he yelped and almost dropped the bouquet.

"Are you okay, Tsuzuki?" came Tatsumi's concerned voice as Tsuzuki hastily tried and failed to hide the flowers behind his back.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "It was just a pretty rough shift."

"Doesn't look that rough to me," Tatsumi replied, eying the bouquet peeking out from behind Tsuzuki. "Who's the secret admirer?"

"Ah, er, no one," Tsuzuki said quickly.

"What are those flowers for, then?" Tatsumi asked.

"Um, it's an order," Tsuzuki mumbled.

"But that's definitely not from our shop," Tatsumi pointed out.

Tsuzuki started to panic. "Um, I'm off shift! Got to go!" Tsuzuki said, hurrying past Tatsumi.

"Tsuzuki!" Tatsumi called. However, Tsuzuki refused to stop and was quickly out the door and out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

[[Jollyolly: Psh. If it was gunna turn out like anything you're probably thinking, I would've put it under M instead of T.

Moonlight Blizzard: He didn't burn them because I didn't think of it. ^^; Not a bad idea...

Guest: It was actually really hard to pick if Muraki would be the florist or the tattoo artist because both were really fitting for him. But then I was like "but Tsuzuki is obviously the florist type" so that settled that. I bet Muraki's the type of person who enjoys it when his customers make pained sounds while he tattoos them.]]

* * *

Tsuzuki sat in a cafe, absently eating a slice of pie as he stared out the window. After he had left work so hurriedly the day before, he had gone home and put the flowers in a vase. They now served as a hauntingly beautiful reminder that he was being romantically pursued by someone whose actions were horribly socially awkward at best and creepy and psychotic at worst.

While sitting there and staring off into space, Tsuzuki heard his name called. The voice sounded familiar, yet he had never heard that particular voice say his name before. He looked up and then flinched when he saw Muraki.

"Hello, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki purred, taking the seat across the table.

Tsuzuki quickly recovered from his shock. "How the hell did you lean my name?!" He snapped.

Muraki shrugged. "It was easy enough. I just had to ask your coworker and he gave it to me right away," he said.

At first, Tsuzuki didn't believe him, but then he remembered that he had never bothered to tell Tatsumi what was happening. "What do you want?" Tsuzuki asked. "Why are you here?"

"I just happened to be in the area," Muraki said. "My boyfriend is working nearby and I'm just waiting for him to finish. I saw you from across the street with such a lonely look in your gorgeous eyes that I couldn't help but come to you and join you."

"I'm not lonely. I was just spacing off," Tsuzuki grumbled.

"Then I'm sure it was your subconscious calling out to me," Muraki said, reaching across the table to hold one of Tsuzuki's hands.

Tsuzuki pulled back. "Are you sure it wasn't just your subconscious?"

Muraki leaned back and grinned. "I can tell you want me," he said. "I don't care if you think you don't. You want me and I'm going to have you; don't worry." He smiled warmly, but the coldness in his words and his eye made Tsuzuki shiver. "If you'd like, we can consider this a date."

"I wouldn't like that at all," Tsuzuki muttered.

"No need to worry about paying for anything. I'll cover the bill, of course," Muraki continued as though Tsuzuki hadn't said a word.

Tsuzuki sighed and looked down at his pie. He wanted to finish it, but the second Muraki had sat down, he had lost his appetite. "No thanks," Tsuzuki replied even though he knew Muraki wouldn't listen. He just hoped that Muraki thinking that this was a date wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass.

"You know," Muraki said absently. "I'll expect you to put out by the third date."

Tsuzuki choked. "Wait, what?" He shouted, shoving back his chair and standing up. "The hell are you talking about?!"

Muraki stayed seated and smiled calmly up at him. "I'm talking about when the time comes for me to finally get to enjoy your body, of course," he replied. "I'm sure I could talk one of my lovers into a threesome if you're interested in something like that. However, our first time, I want to enjoy you alone. I can be quite greedy with new lovers and want them all to myself before sharing them. Would you prefer a man or a woman joining us? Because I could arrange either. Oh," he added suddenly as though remembering something. "That's right. We could even count yesterday as our first date. I did bring you flowers and confess to you, after all. So that means just one more date and you're mine."

Tsuzuki's knees felt weak as he suddenly realized exactly how bad of a situation he was in. In order to avoid falling down, he flopped back into his chair and stared at his pie. He wanted to just leave, but he was too scared to move. Anyway, he wasn't sure exactly where he could even go. Although Muraki was here, this cafe was comparatively safe because Muraki couldn't really do anything other than talk; however, once he stepped out the door, he didn't know if Muraki would follow him and drag him down a dark alley or if some yakuka friend was lurking outside waiting to pull him into an unmarked van.

The door to the cafe opened again, but Tsuzuki didn't even notice until he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to Muraki. "I was looking for you, Muraki," said the voice. Tsuzuki glanced up.

The boy who had walked in was only a teenager, but he had a look in his green eyes that told Tsuzuki that this kid had experienced more than a typical boy his age. A red tattoo made of strange lines and symbols started at his wrists and ran up both his arms, vanishing briefly under the thin sleeves of an orange tank top and a jean vest before reappearing across the exposed part of his chest. Though it took Tsuzuki a few moments to notice them among the intricate design of the tattoo, Tsuzuki soon realized that the boy was also covered in scars, burn marks, cuts, and the occasional bruise.

Muraki turned toward the boy. "Ah, Hisoka, you're done early," Muraki said, not making a move to get up. "I was just chatting with a new friend. I thought you were going to text me when you finished."

"I did. You didn't answer, so I looked for you," Hisoka glanced over at Tsuzuki.

Muraki turned to look at Tsuzuki as well, and seemed to notice how intensely he was staring at the marks on Hisoka's skin. "Don't worry; it's just a little BDSM. It's harmless," Muraki explained. "If you're ever interested in learning more about it, I'm more than willing to teach you everything I know." A hungry look filled Muraki's eyes. Tsuzuki shuddered and felt himself grow pale.

"Muraki, didn't we have other plans for today?" Hisoka said, putting a hand on Muraki's shoulder.

"Right. Shame," Muraki stood and reached for his wallet. "I was hoping to spend more time having fun with Mr. Tsuzuki, but I suppose that'll have to wait." He pulled out a few bills and dropped them on the table. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon, Mr. Tsuzuki," he said. "In the meantime, I hope you'll think about me as much as I'll be thinking about you." With that, he left with Hisoka, leaving Tsuzuki in a state of horror and confusion.


	4. Chapter 4

[[Unfortunately, I'm quickly running out of chapters that I have prewritten. I have two long-running fics that are half done, but I haven't had the time to work on them. After this story is completed, I might vanish again for a while... :/

Jollyolly: I have no qualms about writing that sort of stuff (see any of my M fics), but when I settle on a rating, I stick with it, so no worries~ ^^

Midnight Blizzard: Lol, yup! You called it!

Guest: Honestly, it's really hard to come up with a more ideal stalker than Muraki. He's even a doctor, so he as access to medical records. "You've been to my hospital once? Cool, I know everything about you now."

Thanks for the reviews! ^^]]

* * *

"Why the hell did you tell that creep my name?!"

Tatsumi blinked, wide-eyed in confusion at the sudden outburst directed at him. "That's quite the way to greet me the second you start your shift." He said. "What creep are you talking about? Is something going on, Tsuzuki?"

Tsuzuki took a deep breath and let it out to try to calm himself, but it didn't help much. "There's this guy who's been after me. He's got this tattoo on one arm, red piercings, and silver hair. He's been not so subtle with his come ons, and today, he ran into me in a cafe and just so happened to know my name, and he told me he learned it from asking you."

Tatsumi pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I think I know who you're talking about," he said. "I don't remember a tattoo or piercings, though. However, I think he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, now that I think about it. I don't remember him asking me your name." As Tatsumi thought more, Tsuzuki took the chance to try to calm himself down. "Oh!" Tatsumi exclaimed. "He said something like 'oh, the other gentleman who works here helped me pick out some flowers.' I asked 'do you mean Mr. Tsuzuki?' and he said 'yes.' I then helped him with his purchases and rang him up. He seemed normal enough to me, so I barely thought anything of it. What's he been doing to you?"

"Stalking me, obviously," Tsuzuki said. "He thinks we're dating, and I think he plans on doing...things...to me soon."

"Uh, what kinds of things?" Tatsumi asked.

"Unspeakable things, Tatsumi!" Tsuzuki cried. "He's so scary. You don't even understand! He said he was into BDSM, and his boyfriend came in covered in all sorts of marks that looked like he was being abused! I don't even know if his relationship with his boyfriend is legal! His boyfriend looks like he could easily be a minor, and at best, there's a ten-year age gap! And he visited me at work yesterday and gave me flowers. Everything he says or does to me is just really creepy! I hate it!"

"Well, there's nothing illegal about BDSM, even if it looks like abuse," Tatsumi said. "You'd have to be able to prove that this guy is abusive and his boyfriend is a minor. You'd also need more evidence that he's stalking you than 'he gave me flowers at work and ran into me at a cafe the next day.' Being gay isn't a crime either, after all, even if he's pushy and doesn't know how to take rejection."

"So basically, you're saying there's nothing I can do," Tsuzuki said, slumping his shoulders.

"No, I'm not saying that," Tatsumi said. "I'm just saying that you need to know where to go. Any old police officer is probably just going to tell you that you're over analyzing everything and that it's probably mostly your imagination or that this guy is just being overly friendly with you and you just need to learn to communicate your discomfort better. However, I know one person whom I'm sure would help you out, no matter how much the two of you actively hate each other."

Tsuzuki glanced up at him, confused. "Who?" he asked, trying to think of someone he hated yet would be useful to him in this situation. When the answer finally hit him, he cringed. "Tatsumi! There's no way I can ask _him_ to help me in a situation like this! Even if he does help me – which would be extremely unlikely – he'd probably do a half-assed job and then mock me about this forever! I can't!"

"But Tsuzuki," Tatsumi said. "If you want someone to investigate this, who else could you possibly ask to help you?"

Tsuzuki thought for a while and then sighed. "I guess you're right," he muttered. "I'm still not going to enjoy it, though."

"Of course I'm right," Tatsumi replied. "And you don't have to enjoy it. But I mean, he can't be worse than this creep, can he?"

"It's debatable," Tsuzuki muttered, but then sighed again. "No, you're right. I can survive that asshole long enough to ask him for help. Even the eternal mocking I'd get would be preferable compared to Muraki following me around like this and trying to touch me."

Tatsumi frowned at the mention of Muraki trying to touch Tsuzuki. "Well, at least you're going to go get help. That's a relief, at least," he said. "You can probably talk to him tomorrow before your shift if you have time."

Tsuzuki nodded. "Yeah," he said with a sigh. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll go to the police department and talk to Terazuma."


	5. Chapter 5

Tsuzuki felt mentally exhausted as he left the police station. His interaction with Terazuma had gone pretty much exactly as he had expected. The entire time, he had to avoid insulting Terazuma and suck up to him instead all while Terazuma went all out, ruthlessly mocking him. Eventually, Terazuma had given in, saying he'd look into Muraki and try to find what he could on Hisoka with only a first name and a description to go off of, and he would call him if he found anything.

Tsuzuki had half a mind to stop by a pastry shop or a cafe to give himself something sweet to keep his mind off his current situation, but didn't want to risk running into Muraki again. Instead, he decided to head home until work started. On his way, he took out his phone and called Tatsumi.

"Tsuzuki! How did it go?" Tatsumi asked the instant he picked up.

"About as well as I was expecting," Tsuzuki muttered. "However, he said he'd help me however he could. I just owe him big time now."

"At least you now have someone helping you out," Tatsumi said. "You're not alone anymore. You have me and Terazuma watching your back."

Tsuzuki wanted to say something along the lines of "not that either of you have been much help so far," but he held his tongue.

"What are you going to do now?" Tatsumi asked.

"I think I'm going to go home until work starts," Tsuzuki said. "There are other things I want to do while I'm out, but just walking home is making me anxious. For all I know, he could be watching me or following me this very moment."

"I doubt that, but I suppose it's not impossible," Tatsumi said. "Be safe, okay?"

"Yeah, no need to worry about me," Tsuzuki said. "I'll be sure to lock all the doors and windows and then just read a book until it's time for me to go to work."

"Sounds like an exciting life," Tatsumi said. "Take care, and be sure to tell me what Terazuma finds out."

"Yeah, of course. Talk to you later." He hung up the phone and continued the walk home.

When he was just a few blocks away from his apartment, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Tsuzuki," came a familiar voice that made Tsuzuki's blood run cold. He pulled away and turned around to face Muraki, not sure if he should run or not. If he ran home, Muraki would then know where he lived. If he tried to escape anywhere else, though, he might get turned around and Muraki might catch him and do horrible things to him, which was not much different from the risk of just standing there.

"What are you doing here, Muraki?" Tsuzuki stuttered, still torn between flight and fight.

"I was just in the area and happened to notice you from a distance," Muraki replied. "Since you were here, I decided to catch up to you and ask you now and in person if you were interested in seeing a Noh play with me later in the week. I ended up with an extra ticket and thought that it would make a fitting third date for the two of us."

Tsuzuki briefly wondered what Muraki meant by "in person," but was too freaked out by the invitation to dwell on the words for too long. "I'm not that interested in Noh," he said quickly. "And I'm really busy this week anyway, so I wouldn't have time."

"That's a pity," Muraki replied with a smirk. "Oh well. The offer still stands. If you change your mind, then I hope to see you there. Though, I'm sure I'll come up with an even better date idea in the meantime. Well, that is, if I still have the patience to wait until after the third date." With that, Muraki turned and left.

Tsuzuki watched him go, his heart still banging in his throat. He wasn't sure if it was safer to go home or to try to go somewhere else. After standing there for several minutes staring at the direction Muraki had vanished in, he decided that he might as well just continue going home. As he walked, he looked around constantly, trying to see if anyone was following him or watching him, but no one stood out.

Although his mind was currently in a panicked state, part of him was internally analyzing the conversation he had just had with Muraki. He still didn't know what Muraki had meant by "in person," unless he had planned to try to get Tatsumi to give him the ticket at work or something. Tsuzuki also had no idea how Muraki expected him to just show up at the play if he ended up changing his mind for some reason. Muraki had never told him when or where the play was, or even what play he had gotten tickets to. He didn't even know why Muraki had been in this area anyway, unless he lived nearby too. That was a terrifying thought. Tsuzuki tried to shake it from his mind.

As his apartment came into view, he quickened his pace, longing to be inside those safe doors. His feet pounded against the stairs as he raced toward his unit. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his keys and found the one that led into his home. Once he reached the door, he struggled with getting the key into the lock. Once successful, he threw open the door and locked it tightly behind him. Tsuzuki rested his back against the door and panted. He was safe. He could relax now.

Still, he stayed where he was, panting with his back against the door. Adrenaline still filled him, and his body began to tremble. Deciding that it might be best to make some tea and rest in a chair for a bit, Tsuzuki headed to the kitchen. However, when he got there, he let out a shout.

On the table was a pamphlet for a Noh play, a ticket, and a single red rose.


	6. Chapter 6

[[I'm back! Sorry for the missed week, family emergency. But all is well and I can get back to updating now! ^^

Jollyolly: Yup, that's exactly how Tsuzuki yelled. :D

Moonlight Blizzard: Your comment cracked me up! XD And if you want to see bad things happen to Muraki, well, that's literally why I wrote The Rat That Bites.]]

* * *

Tsuzuki wasn't sure how long he stared in horror at the ticket on his table. However, the ringing of his phone snapped him out of it. He shakily pulled the phone out of his pocket, opened it, and answered. "Hello?"

"Tsuzuki!" came Terazuma's hushed voice on the other line. "Look, you were right. There's definitely something going on, and you owe me big time for this, alright? Well, that is, if you survive. Yeah, that's how bad it is."

"I'm not sure how all this can get even worse, honestly," Tsuzuki muttered. "He did something new."

"Yeah, well, honestly, I can't do anything about it except tell you what I know. As I said, you're in deep shit. Anyway, I looked up Hisoka and got a hit for a cold case matching his description. Kurosaki Hisoka, son of Kurosaki Nagare of the Kurosaki conglomerate. The record on their house is extensive. Apparently, there were a lot of anonymous calls from inside the place, probably house keepers, who reported child abuse. The cops came every single time and couldn't find any evidence, but the reports are all sloppy and no pictures were ever taken. Then, then the kid was 13, he just vanished without a trace. Some thought he was murdered. There was an investigation with the father as the main suspect, but it was sloppy at best. Charges were never filed and the case was just dropped. This happened about five years ago, so if it's the same Hisoka, he'd be 18. He's legal. But even if they'd been sleeping together since the kid was 13, it would be hard to prove anything. It would even be difficult to prove that this guy was behind the boy's disappearance. But either way, this creep isn't going to jail anytime soon."

"Um, why not?" Tsuzuki said. "He just-"

"As I said, Tsuzuki," Terazuma said, lowering his voice further. "You're in some deep shit. Muraki Kazutaka, I looked into him. He has ties with Oriya Mibu, a local yakuza boss who runs a huge underground prostitution ring."

Tsuzuki gulped. It was just as how he had feared. Muraki was indeed yakuza.

"It gets worse," Terazuma continued. "He's been brought in three times for murder." Tsuzuki almost dropped the phone. "Yeah. He's apparently been in here three times. However, each time, he's left with no charges filed against him, even with clear evidence to incriminate him. From what I could tell during my brief look at his file is that Oriya bailed him out and covered it up with help from some cops. In fact, in the middle of my snooping, my boss called me to his office. He made it very clear that he didn't want me looking at Muraki's file, so I'm pretty sure he's on Oriya's payroll himself. If I get killed or fired, I want you to know that it's on you, Tsuzuki."

"S-so what should I do?" Tsuzuki asked.

"I don't know. Stay home. Barricade yourself in with some movies and your favorite type of cake until he either gets bored or inevitably gets you."

"He already broke into my apartment today," Tsuzuki said. "The door was locked. I have no idea how he got in here."

"...Or you might as well just continue your life as usual and wait for him to grab you. Who knows? Maybe he'll be gentle." Terazuma continued. "You know, I think I retract that whole 'you owe me big time for this' thing. It sounds like I probably won't be able to collect on that debt, so instead I'll give these words of advice: Use lots of lube. Too much is still not enough."

"This isn't a time to be saying things like that, Terazuma!" Tsuzuki snapped. "I'm seriously freaked out and I need help!"

"Oh, there's no help for you, Tsuzuki," Terazuma said. "What I'm trying to say is that there's nothing I can do. There's nothing the cops in general can do. Hell, there's probably nothing that the government can do. I don't know how many people have been taking yakuza bribes. You're fucked, figuratively for now but probably literally later."

"Could you at least stop with the jokes?" Tsuzuki pleaded.

"No, they make me feel better about my own current situation," Terazuma replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I can only sit on a toilet and pretend to take a dump for so long before people catch on, so I've got to go. Good luck. You'll need it."

"Terazuma!" Tsuzuki yelled, but the line was dead. Tsuzuki sighed and returned his phone to his pocket. He wished that he made enough money so that he could just drop everything, buy a plane ticket to another country, and leave everything behind to start a new life, but he could barely pay rent. Terazuma was right, though; Tsuzuki had two choices. He could stay cooped up in his apartment until Muraki came for him, or he could continue with his daily life until Muraki came for him. Ideally, Tsuzuki would rather that Muraki leave him alone forever, but since that wasn't going to happen, he had to make a choice.

Tsuzuki sighed and looked at his watch. It looked like there was at least enough time for a shower and a meal before he'd have to leave for work.


	7. Chapter 7

[[Sorry for the delay. The site made it so I couldn't update anything for several days. It seems to be fixed now, though. ^^

Midnight Blizzard: Strangely, after I posted that last chapter, I was like "wait, I feel like the next chapter should be the end. How do I have three whole chapters of material left? Oo" I then skimmed the remaining chapters and went "oh, that's how." So, yup, two more chapters after this one and the story is complete. Also, I've noticed that including Saki in a fic is the best way to keep people from reading it. ^^; I've got next to no views on The Rat That Bites and Head Games...]]

* * *

Tsuzuki had been unable to relax during his entire shift. Thankfully, Muraki didn't show up again. When Tsuzuki returned home after his shift, however, he noticed that there was someone slumped against his door. At first, he worried that it was Muraki, but as he cautiously came closer, he realized that the person didn't have silver hair. The next thought that crossed his mind was that the person might actually be the body of someone that Muraki had killed, so he ran up the steps for a closer look.

The person looked up as Tsuzuki approached, and then gave a little wave with one hand. "Hey."

"Ah, you're..." Tsuzuki gulped and took a step back. "Hisoka."

Hisoka stood up. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not here to do anything to you. I needed to get away from him and this place seemed like the last place he'd look for me. Can I come inside?" He jerked a thumb in the direction of the door behind him. "I'm pretty hungry, and it's starting to get cold out here."

"Ah, sure," Tsuzuki said, getting out his keys. He didn't care if this was a trap or not. As Terazuma said, there was no way out of this for him. Even if Muraki was using Hisoka as some sort of bait, turning him away might lead to Muraki being more direct. He might as well try to help this kid out just in case his story was true.

When Tsuzuki unlocked and opened the door, Hisoka thanked him and slipped past. "This is a pretty nice place," he marveled, looking around.

"Make yourself comfortable, and I'll cook us something to eat," Tsuzuki said, heading into the kitchen. He flinched as he saw the Noh ticket and rose still sitting there, and quickly stuffed them into a drawer. "So what brings you here so late at night?" he asked.

"I'm running away," Hisoka said with a shrug. "I'm done with Muraki."

"I see," Tsuzuki said as he started gathering ingredients. "Can't you just go home to your parents? I'm sure they're worried."

"My parents never cared about me," Hisoka replied as he flopped into a chair. "I'm sure they're grateful I'm gone."

"You're Kurosaki Hisoka, aren't you?" Tsuzuki asked hesitantly.

Hisoka's eyes widened. "Eh? How did you know that?" he asked.

"I was curious so I had a friend look into you. That's all," Tsuzuki explained as he chopped vegetables. "I know a few things about your life now, so I understand why you don't want to go back. I'm sorry you went through all that."

"It's fine now, I guess." Hisoka said with a shrug. "I'm used to being treated like that. I'm more sorry for you. You're not used to people like Muraki." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I know what he plans on doing to you. He wants to make you into something similar to what he made me. So I was wondering if you wanted to run away together or something."

"Huh?" Tsuzuki paused in his cutting. He didn't even know what to say in response to something like that. "But... I barely know you. And... similar to you? What?"

"Well, first off, I'm not his 'boyfriend.'" Hisoka said. "I'm more just a fuck toy. In public, he acts like it's some romantic, loving relationship, but really, I just have to let him do whatever he wants to me. I can't fight back. Some days, he whores me out to maintain peaceful relationships with other yakuza. That's what happened the day when you ran into him at the cafe. He sent me to go fuck some rival gang member that he'd wronged recently in order to make things right. And sometimes, he hurts me for no reason or when I'm upset with him. Recently, I stopped talking because he made me mad, so he brought home a bunch of roses and stuck the thorns in me until I forgave him, and then we had what he called 'make up sex.'"

Tsuzuki gulped as he remembered selling Muraki those roses.

"But yeah," Hisoka continued. "If he gets you, those are the kinds of things he'll do to you, which is why I want to leave him behind and take you with me."

"I can't just drop everything and leave, though," Tsuzuki muttered.

"Then you're just waiting for him to come get you," Hisoka replied.

Tsuzuki sighed and dumped all the chopped ingredients into a pot. "I just don't know what else to do," he said. "Anyway, how do I know for sure that you're not leading me into a trap?"

"Because I'm going to tell you right now, I originally came here under his orders to lure you to him," Hisoka said. "But I'm not going to do that. This is my one chance to get free, and I don't want someone like you to take my place. You wouldn't be able to deal with him."

Tsuzuki sighed and thought for a moment. "Can I call a friend first?" he asked. "My coworker, he usually gives me pretty good advice and such. This is a pretty big thing you're asking me to do, after all."

Hisoka shrugged. "Go right ahead," he said. "As I said, I'm not here to trick you. Just don't mention me on the phone. I don't know if Muraki has it bugged or not. I'm going to be pretty quiet too, just in case."

His phone being bugged wasn't a thing Tsuzuki had considered, and the thought unnerved him. "Alright," Tsuzuki said. "I guess I'll just text him instead, then." Tsuzuki pulled out his phone and quickly texted Tatsumi. "Come over fast. It's an emergency." He sent the message and then returned to cooking.

"So what are those marks?" he asked after a long pause.

"Hm? My tattoo?" Hisoka asked, glancing down at his arms. "It's a mark Muraki uses to claim people as his."

"How big of a tattoo is it?" Tsuzuki asked. "It looks like it spreads to at least part of your chest."

"It covers all of my chest," Hisoka replied. "And my back, and my legs. It's a full-body tattoo. Muraki takes it very seriously when he claims people. He doesn't want the mark to be too easy to remove or hide, after all."

Tsuzuki grimaced, trying to imagine how painful a full-body tattoo like that would be. His phone went off just then. Tsuzuki checked it and saw that it was a message from Tatsumi. "Be there soon," it said. Tsuzuki closed his phone and went back to focusing on his cooking. He hoped that he made enough so that Tatsumi could have some too if he were hungry.

"So," Hisoka said after another pause in their conversation. "When's dinner?"

"Ah, I'm just finishing it up. Let me dish you up a plate." Tsuzuki answered. He finished his cooking and dished up two plates. "Here, let's eat at the table," Tsuzuki said, taking his food to the small dining table. There were two seats there – one for himself and one in case he ever had guests. However, guests were a very rare occurrence for him.

"Alright." Hisoka got up and joined him at the table. "I'm starved!" The moment he sat down he snatched up the silverware and took a huge bite. However, the second the food hit his tongue, his face fell. Barely able to finish chewing and swallowing, Hisoka finished that one bite and then shoved the plate away.

"Is something wrong?" Tsuzuki asked, looking down at his own food. It had seemed fine to him, although maybe just a tad on the salty side.

"Nah, I'm fine," Hisoka said, covering his mouth. "I just wasn't as hungry as I thought I was. I think I'm just going to take a nap until your friend gets here. Um, but before that, where's your bathroom?"

"Uh, just down that way," Tsuzuki said, pointing.

"Thanks. Ergh..." Hisoka got up and staggered down the hall.

Tsuzuki watched him go and then took a bite from Hisoka's plate and tasted it. He then shrugged and returned to his own meal. It seemed just fine to him.


	8. Chapter 8

[[Here's the second to last chapter! Sorry it's so short. Anyway, after this story wraps up, I'm going to go on a hiatus for a bit. I'm pretty stuck on the fics that I've been working on and want to at least have them drafted before I commit to publishing them. Writer's block is awful...]]

* * *

Hisoka was sound asleep on Tsuzuki's couch by the time a knock came on his door. Tsuzuki answered it and smiled in relief when he saw it was Tatsumi, who was holding a plastic bag in one hand. "Come in," he said, standing aside. Tatsumi walked past him but then stopped and stared at the unconscious blond boy passed out on Tsuzuki's couch.

"That's new," Tatsumi commented.

"Er, well, I have a lot to tell you," Tsuzuki said. "We should go into my room to talk so we don't wake him up."

"Alright," Tatsumi said, following Tsuzuki into his bedroom.

Tsuzuki told him about everything that had happened that day since he had last called him. Tsuzuki told Tatsumi about how he had run into Muraki, who had invited him to a Noh play. He then told him about how he came home to a Noh ticket on his counter, followed by a phone call from Terazuma. He told Tatsumi everything that Terazuma had told him about Hisoka and Muraki, and then told him why Hisoka was currently asleep in his apartment and even shared with him everything Hisoka had told him, including Hisoka's proposal of running away together.

"Hmmm, interesting," Tatsumi said thoughtfully.

"Not interesting! It's not interesting at all! It's terrible!"

"Well, that too," Tatsumi said. "It's an awful situation that you shouldn't have to be in, and I'm sorry I took it so lightly before. I'm just trying to think of something that I could do to help you."

"You could help me?" Tsuzuki asked hopefully.

"Possibly," Tatsumi said. "There aren't any promises, though."

Tsuzuki hugged Tatsumi and smiled. Tatsumi tensed at first, startled by the touch. Just as he finally relaxed into it and raised his arms to return the hug, Tsuzuki pulled away.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Tsuzuki asked, his energy suddenly returned. "There are leftovers from dinner."

"I ate before I came," Tatsumi said quickly.

"Ah," Tsuzuki said, slightly disappointed.

"By the way," Tatsumi said. "I know you said it was an emergency, but I figured that, if you were well enough to text, then you were well enough to wait five extra minutes." He opened the plastic bag and pulled out a pastry box and a plastic fork. Tsuzuki gasped.

"Tatsumi," he said in awe. "Thank you!"

"Here," Tatsumi said, holding it out. Tsuzuki grabbed it and opened it, revealing a slice of strawberry short cake.

"Where did you get this so late at night?" Tsuzuki asked, taking a bite. "And it's not like you to buy me something."

"I didn't buy it," Tatsumi answered enigmatically. "Sorry if it's stale." He pulled out his phone and began to text.

Tsuzuki couldn't help but continue to wonder where and how Tatsumi had gotten the cake, but it seemed fine to him, so he kept eating it without questioning it anymore. "Who are you texting?" he asked.

"Some people who might be able to help you with your situation," Tatsumi replied. "I'm sure someone will be able to and will get back to me soon enough."

Tsuzuki tilted his head and continued watching Tatsumi text. "I didn't think you knew the sorts of people who could help me out," Tsuzuki said, slightly concerned.

Tatsumi paused in his texting and looked up at Tsuzuki. "I'm sure there are a lot of things you don't know about me," he said with a warm smile that hid an almost sinister undertone. Tsuzuki couldn't help but shiver. "However," Tatsumi continued, "all you need to know about me right now is that I'm a master at manipulating shadows."

Tsuzuki cringed and returned his attention to his cake, leaving Tatsumi to his texting.


	9. Chapter 9

[[I finally got a job and still have some writer's block, so this will be my last update for a while. At least this is the final chapter to this fic, though. Never making that same mistake I made with In Sheep's Clothing again... Anyway, thanks for reading my stories!

Jollyolly: Ooh! That gives me an idea! ^^ I've rewritten the beginning of this chapter~

Moonlight Blizzard: I've been using so many cliché lines this entire fic. It's about time someone called me out on one of them. :P And no smut in my T fics. Though, maybe should write a fic that's M but consensual and less extreme... Maybe.

Nozomi-sama: Thank you! 3 I hope this ending will make your efforts worth it!]]

* * *

Tsuzuki was pulled from his slumbers by a rustling sound that seemed to be growing closer. When a fragrant aroma filled his nostrils, he blinked open his eyes in surprise to see a huge bouquet of red roses had been thrust into his face. His body stiffened in surprise, and he stared at the flowers that filled his vision in confusion.

The flowers were then pulled away from his face, and Tsuzuki cried out and nearly fell out of bed when he realized that the person who held the flowers was Muraki.

Seemingly unfazed by Tsuzuki's reaction, Muraki brushed a silvery lock back behind one ear and smiled down at Tsuzuki. However, there was no warmth in that grin, only the satisfied look of a predator who has finally cornered its prey.

"Good morning, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki purred. "I'm sorry for awakening you. However, I was growing impatient for my prize. I've been longing for you, my love."

Tsuzuki glanced desperately around the room. Seeing that the bedroom door was still open and that he had a clear shot at it, he leaped out of bed and dashed to the exit. However, he felt a hand clamp down on one of his wrists as he passed through the door. He turned around, panicking, to see who had grabbed him, and was relieved to see Tatsumi.

Tsuzuki sighed in relief. "Tatsumi! Thank god... I almost thought you were Muraki!" He glanced behind him to see that Muraki hadn't moved an inch from where he stood, a smirk plastered across his smug face. "That's the guy, Tatsumi!" Tsuzuki said, pointing a finger into his room. "See? He even broke into my room! What are we going to do?"

Keeping his grip on Tsuzuki's wrist, Tatsumi leaned over to glance through the open door and then shook his head. "Him?" Tatsumi asked. "He didn't break in." Before Tsuzuki could ask what Tatsumi meant by that, he felt something sharp dig into his back. His strength quickly left him, and he slumped weakly against Tatsumi's chest. "Who did you think I was texting?"

Tatsumi's arms wrapped around him were anything but comforting. He screamed at his body, frantically willing his muscles to move. He could hear footsteps slowly coming closer from behind him. At one point, he heard a dull fwump of the roses being dropped, hitting the floor with a faint rustle of the plastic wrapped around the stems.

There was a faint creak as the bedroom door opened further, and then the footsteps continued, growing closer. Tsuzuki wanted to cry out, but the sound caught in his throat. He wondered briefly if this was another side effect of whatever Tatsumi had done to him. The only movement he could make was a fearful trembling, and he was sure that Tatsumi could feel his shaking.

The foot steps stopped. "I'm sure you'll find the amount I've transferred to your account more than satisfactory," Muraki said.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Tatsumi said.

Muraki chuckled, and Tsuzuki internally screamed as he felt another set of arms wrap around him, pulling him away from Tatsumi. "The pleasure is all mine."

Tsuzuki's alarm went off, and he awoke with a yelp. Looking around, he found himself safe in his bed, no flowers or Muraki in sight. He sighed and turned off his alarm. "Just a dream," he muttered. He yawned hugely, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, when suddenly, he felt an arm snake across his waist. He yelped again, which he then quickly stifled by covering his mouth with both hands when he saw who it was. He had forgotten that he had told Tatsumi that he could stay the night, and that he was free join him in his bed whenever he finished talking to all of his mysterious contacts.

Tatsumi had stirred at Tsuzuki's sounds of panic, but didn't seem to awaken. Tsuzuki had no memory of Tatsumi joining him, so he must have stayed up long into the night. Tsuzuki carefully removed Tatsumi's arm from his waist, climbed out of bed over Tatsumi, and started to get ready for work. When he went to the living room, he saw that Hisoka was still fast asleep on the couch. Tsuzuki smiled and went over to him, tucking him in. He stared down at him for a moment longer, a soft smile on his lips, and then leaned down again to gently stroke the hair out of his face. He hesitated again for a moment longer, watching the boy sleep, and then went to the kitchen. He quickly wrote a letter to Tatsumi, saying that he decided to go into work and that he would cover both their shifts so that Tatsumi could look after Hisoka. He then put the letter and a spare key on the pillow beside Tatsumi's sleeping form and then left.

As he neared work, Tsuzuki felt a bit anxious. However, as he approached the building, he noticed that the tattoo parlor next door didn't have any lights on and was closed. He could have sworn that it opened at about this time, but he decided that he must have been mistaken.

His shift was uneventful, which Tsuzuki was grateful for after the events of the past three days. However, once his scheduled shift was nearly over, Tatsumi came in.

"Tatsumi!" Tsuzuki exclaimed. "Didn't you get my note? What about Hisoka?"

"Well, first of all, I need the money. I can't just give you a shift out of nowhere," Tatsumi said. "Secondly, Hisoka was gone when I woke up. I waited around until it was almost time for me to leave for work and then I left. I think he's gone."

Tsuzuki's shoulders slumped. "Ah," he muttered.

"My best bet is that he knows Muraki is gone for good, so he felt safe enough to leave," Tatsumi replied.

"Wait, Muraki is gone?" Tsuzuki asked, shocked.

"Yup. Didn't you notice that the tattoo parlor he works at was shut down?" Tatsumi said proudly. "One of my contacts came through and was able to deal with him. He'll never bother you ever again." Something about Tatsumi's tone seemed ominous and cryptic, making Tsuzuki remember his dream with a shudder.

"Is he dead?" Tsuzuki asked hesitantly.

Tatsumi shrugged. "If he is, then that just guarantees that he won't come back, right?"

Tsuzuki gulped but hesitantly nodded, making a mental note to never, ever get on Tatsumi's bad side. "Thanks, Tatsumi," Tsuzuki said. "You're a real friend."

The smile on Tatsumi's face wavered ever-so-slightly. It was so subtle that Tsuzuki decided that he had just imagined it.

"Um, anyway," Tsuzuki continued. "Can you tell me now what you meant with that whole cryptic 'manipulating shadows' thing you were talking about last night? And who exactly was the person that you got to help me out?"

Tatsumi chuckled. "I'm sure it meant exactly what you think it meant," he replied. "The shadows are, of course, acquaintances of mine who prefer to do their work subtly, usually under the cover of darkness. And my contact, well, I don't really know his real name. I've never seen him in person even. He's all but invisible."

"Eh?" Tsuzuki was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

Tsuzuki thought for a moment. "But I guess, since he liked you, he won't mind if I tell you the name he goes by," Tatsumi continued.

"What do you mean, 'he liked me'?!" Tsuzuki asked.

"He cut me a deal on his usual price in exchange for some pictures of you."

Tsuzuki felt himself grow pale. "Why do I get the feeling I just exchanged one creep for another?" he groaned.

"Don't worry," Tatsumi said. "He's not a bad person like Muraki. I told him that you weren't interested in men and he accepted that. Anyway, he can't go about pursuing romances with just anyone. He's supposed to be invisible after all, remember? He can't have a bunch of random lovers who know what he looks like."

"I see," Tsuzuki was still kind of unsure about this whole situation. "So, uh, what's he known as, then?"

"He goes by the Count," Tatsumi answered. "Ah, and by the way," he added, his face suddenly becoming scary. "He said he'd give me a partial refund if I could acquire some shirtless pics for him to add to his collection."

Tsuzuki's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"

"It's just a few pictures. You don't have to show much skin. And then he'll leave you alone, I promise." Tatsumi said, pulling out his phone. "We can even do them here. I'll lock the door. The flowers will make such a pretty background. I bet he'd like that."

Tsuzuki whimpered. His fears had been correct. His problem hadn't been solved just yet.

Tatsumi's camera went off and Tsuzuki jumped. "You were making a really cute face right there," Tatsumi said. "I bet he'd like that one. Now quick, take off your shirt before any customers come by. Come on. Don't you owe me for what I've just done for you?"

Tsuzuki whimpered and hesitantly raised his shaking hands to the button at his collar.


End file.
